1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrotherapeutic implant for stimulation of body tissue. Fields of use for such instruments include in particular spinal cord stimulation. Subcutaneous stimulation (electroacupuncture), muscle stimulation, heart stimulation and brain stimulation. Preferred fields of use of the inventive implant for cardiac applications include in particular right-ventricular applications in the ventricles and left-ventricular application in the vessels but also epicardial applications. The present invention relates in particular to an electrotherapeutic implant that can receive the therapeutic energy required for electrotherapeutic treatment of body tissue from outside of the body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such implants are known in principle, but they have a number of disadvantages. The size and shape (length-width-height relationship) of electrotherapeutic implants according to the state of the art are determined essentially by the size and shape of the battery.
However, batteries often cannot be accommodated directly at the treatment site because of their size and shape.
For this reason, electrotherapeutic implants according to the state of the art are often designed in two parts and also include, in addition to a housing which accommodates the battery and other electronic components, separate electrodes which are connected to the electronic components inside the housing by electric feeder lines.
The housing for such implants is normally positioned at a site remote from the treatment, e.g., beneath the pectoral muscles. The desired stimulation is achieved via electrodes placed at the treatment site and connected to the electronic components of the housing. The housing sends the required therapeutic energy over the electric feeder lines during the stimulation.
An implantable device according to the state of the art appears bulky because of its size and shape, in particular because of the size and shape of the battery, and is especially problematical in many areas of the body (e.g., when the patient is lying on it).